What impacted me most was the apparent disinterest the food industry has in making any kinds of change, even the small ones. To treat the animals differently, where it is still okay and natural to butcher, but to not abuse them. Feed them products their bodies want to digest, should be digesting, so that they are healthy. It seems that with the large monetary intake the food industry makes, how hard would it be to make some minor, albeit useful, changes? And hopefully, with the insight from this film and others like it, as well as books and talks on the subject, Americans will demand a change and the industry can be shaped the way we, the consumers, would like it.
It will likely take some time to see any real kind of change, but even the little steps are necessary. But once the hurdle is jumped, it will stay behind us and we can move on to other issues that demand our time and attention. Nothing is easy, but some things are worth fighting for, even if that is by simply buying other products in the grocery store.
Reynnells, R., and J. Blake. United States. Standards for Food Animal Production: Status, Well-Being, and Social Responsibility. Washington, D.C.: , 2002. Web. 11 May 2010.
I agree the disinterest in changing is horrific. This is an industry makes so much money, you would think that they could afford to make a change, any change. I don't think the industry is going to change until we -- as a society -- step up and say we won't take it any more. I'm not sure if you knew this but at one point Canada tried to stop importing our beef but the WTO decided that they could not keep our meat out. However, most Canadians refuse to buy it. As a society they have made a choice, I wonder what would happen if Americans did this?
ReplyDeleteI also hate the apathetic stance of the corporations that dominate the food industry. They just get away with seemingly endless inhumane, unethical, horribly polluting and disgusting practices, using their political pawns and buying power to get what they want: a curtain over the truth, keeping the people from seeing the reality of what is going on....and then when the journalists and media finally catch them with irrefutable evidence do they actually admit that, yes, heinous acts ARE being committed, they have nothing to say for themselves....or they will deny responsibility, claiming they had no idea of the wrongs that were occurring. I'm reading a book called Why What We Eat Matters, and it's discussing many of the same issues. I hate the fact that making changes within the system is absolutely not at all something that is on the table for these companies. I hope that Americans can someday do as Canada has done. We must step up and stop this cruel system somehow. As to the enormous size and power of these corporate giants, I'm not sure what the path to change is. Even Tom's of Maine toothpaste is now owned by Colgate. What?!
ReplyDelete